How I would Spend 1 Day in Inverness

Inverness is the big city in the Scottish Highlands and I love spending time there. Due to work commitments, we normally spend 1 day there every second month. I distinctly remember the first time I visited Inverness. I grew up in Glasgow, Scotland's biggest city, so Inverness felt particuarly small in comparison the first time I visited. I thought it was a cute little spot and I really wanted to spend more time exploring this beautiful city.

After moving to the Highlands five years ago, I have become used to spending time in Inverness. It's the home of the biggest shops in the Highlands, so people who live in the rural areas of the Scottish Highlands are used to making the trip into Inverness to get any shopping they might need. But as well as it being a place to run errands, Inverness has become one of my favourite places to spend time in the Scottish Highlands. Over the last few years, so many cool independent shops and eateries have opened up. It's been a joy to see this cute little city really thriving and so many people doing such cool things in this city.

So many people opt to spend some of their trip to the Scottish Highlands exploring Inverness, so I thought it might be helpful to have a blogpost featuring how I would spend 1 day in Inverness. It's quite a flexible itinerary, so hopefully it will suit you kinds of travellers with helpful tips and tricks for your next visit to the city.

Spend the Morning Exploring the Sights in and around Inverness

Whenever I have somewhere new to explore, I like to start my day by heading out and exploring a touristy attaction or historic site. During a recent visit in January, I visited Culloden Battlefield for the first time. For anyone interested in learning more about this bloody battle and the impact it had on the future of Scotland, I would highly recommend taking the time to explore this site.

Another spot in Inverness that I love to explore is Leakey's Bookshop. Set inside an old church, this is Scotland's largest secondhand bookshop. I love books and reading and I have spent hours exploring the nooks and crannies of this incredible bookshop. If you want to explore a truly magical spot in the heart of the city, Leakey's Bookshop is the spot for you.

Grab some Lunch at the Victorian Market

In recent years, the food hall has reopned in the Victorian Market in Inverness and has become an incredible spot to enjoy some of the coolest independent food producers in the city.

One of my favourites has to be Good Girl Greengrocers. We tend to spend the most time in Inverness during the winter months, so the perfect lunch at this time of year is a big bowl of delicious soup.

Head for an Afternoon Walk around River Ness and Ness Islands

One of my favourite things to do whenever I'm in Inverness is take a walk along the River Ness to Ness Islands. It takes about half an hour to walk along the river and get to Ness Islands. This river island is a perfect quiet oasis right in the heart of the city. When we visited moved to the Scottish Highlands during the lockdown periods of five years ago, walking to Ness Islands on our monthly trips to Inverness became such a joyful little treat whenever we came to the city.

Inverness is such a lovely city built along the River Ness so I think the best way to see the city is from this river side, so make sure this is a priority on your next visit.

Warm up with an Afternoon Coffee

One of my favourite things about Inverness is being able to find some amazing coffee shops all over the city (can you tell I'm a country gal). There are actually loads of really cool independent coffee shops and cafes throughout the city. Lots I have tried and loads I haven't yet, but trust me, they are on my list.

I've shared a blogpost in the past highlighting some of my favourite coffee shops in Inverness, so be sure to check them out to find some of my favourite coffee spots in the city.

Head out for Dinner at one of Inverness' Fantastic Restuarants

Since I started sharing on this blog, Inverness has become a real foodie destination. It's been so fun to try so many cool restuarants in our trips to the "big city" and enjoy something a bit fancier than we would normally have at home.

If you're looking for somewhere to eat with Asian fusion flavours, be sure to check out Hou Hou Mei. We've visited a number of times over the last few years and it has been such a delight to enjoy the flavours in this restuarant. One of our favourite things about this restuarant is their small plates menu. We love choosing lots of small plates and sharing them amongst the table whenever we go and love being able to try lots of different flavours.

If you're looking for a really special experience and have a real love for seafood, you have to check our Rocpool. We visited for the first time in January 2025 and were absolutely blown away by this incredible restuarant. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed my incredible main of Shetland monkfish and king prawn stir fry, with coconut, coriander and chilli. It was so fresh and full of flavour. Their menu changes throughout the year based on the season so I'm hoping we can visit again at a different time of year to try and enjoy some more incredible seasonal food.

Inverness might be a small city, but it is mighty in historic sites to see and incredible food to try. If you are planning a trip to the Scottish Highlands, I hope this little guide helps you in planning your trip and giving you a bit of inspiration.